CNN analyst draws social media ire for ‘Karma’ tweet

CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart drew considerable backlash on social media Wednesday after questioning whether the COVID-19 pandemic, a major Gulf Coast hurricane and raging California wildfires were the result of “Karma.”

Lockhart weighed in with the one-word response after writer and podcast host David Rothkopf asked followers on Twitter what all three major issues affecting the U.S. “have in common.”

Rothkopf had sent a follow-up tweet arguing that “[t]he president and his administration reject the science that is needed to address these crises” and “in the case of both the global climate crisis and the pandemic, actively made matters worse.”

A massive hurricane that may be part of an unprecedented hurricane season is bearing down on the Gulf Coast. California is being devastated by some of the worst fires in history. The worst pandemic in 100 years has claimed more than 180K lives. What do these all have in common?

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) August 26, 2020

Karma?

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) August 26, 2020

Lockhart, a former White House press secretary who served during President Clinton’s impeachment, drew swift blowback from all sides on social media for his “Karma” response:

CNN contributor Joe Lockhart suggests it’s “karma” for the Gulf coast to be slammed with a hurricane.

this is vile and malevolent conduct. https://t.co/iqRz6yVHBd

— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) August 26, 2020

This is the kind of unhinged stuff Pat Robertson and Tony Perkins say.

Enough. pic.twitter.com/o0Off2ePUr

— Yashar Ali (@yashar) August 26, 2020

This is absolutely vile. It is also another member of the media. https://t.co/6ChBBCaoLm

— Tatjana Pasalic (@Tattytats) August 26, 2020

CNN, come get your guy https://t.co/tZsWbYPm5L

— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) August 26, 2020

Lockhart eventually declared he was getting off Twitter for a few hours as the criticism continued to build.

I’m getting off twitter for a couple of hours, i’m starting to even bore myself rather than everyone else.

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) August 26, 2020

Lockhart was already under fire this week for calling teenager Nicholas Sandmann, who spoke at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, a “snot nosed entitled kid from Kentucky” on Twitter.

That comment drew criticism from former George W. Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

I’m watching tonight because it’s important. But i don’t have to watch this snot nose entitled kid from Kentucky.

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) August 26, 2020

Joe is right. Nick Sandman is entitled. To an apology.

Add Lockhart to the list of people who owe him one. <ahref=”https: t.co=”” myukhlfj1i”=””>https://t.co/myuKhLfJ1I

— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) August 26, 2020

Sandmann sued both CNN and The Washington Post each for $250 million over their reporting of an interaction he had with a Native American elder in Washington, D.C., in early 2019.

The teenager settled with the network and newspaper for an undisclosed amount earlier this year.